Stopper.



PATENTED'VJULY 28, 1903.

H. CAMPBELL.

STOPPER.

APPLICATION BLED 001. 2B, 1901.

NO MODEL.

LU 72142 SJ a J, 1521/ 671/157 W M 0 7f -Z?" UNITED STATES Patented July 28, 1908.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY CAMPBELL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGrNOR TO KEYSTONE CORK SEAL COMPANY, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

STOPPER.

SPEClFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 735,031, dated July 28, 1903.

Application filed October 28, 1901. Serial No. 80,284. (No model.)

1'0 alt w/tom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, have in- 5 vented certain new and useful Improvements in Stoppers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and [0 use the same.

My invention relates to that class of devices known as stopper-pullers.

My improvements have for their object to enable an ordinary cork stopper to be held under heavy compression in the mouth of a bottle, (preferably an internally-grooved mouth,) so as to be absolutely secure from being forced out by internal gas-pressure and at the same time be capable of ready extraction. lVhere a cork is securely held under heavy compression under the above-mentioned conditions, it is practically impossible to extract it by the ordinary means, such as a corkscrew, the cork being so heavily compressed and tightly se- 5 cured to the bottle-mouth that the middle portion of the cork will be torn out without extracting it as a whole. By my invention, however, I entirely overcome this difliculty.

A further feature of my invention is to apply and arrange the puller so that it does not interfere with the insertion of the cork by the ordinary bottling-machine.

A further feature of the invention consists inthe application of the puller in such manher that the cork is held under more or less longitudinal compression, so that when it is inserted in the bottle it is not entirely free to expand longitudinally, but must be heavily compressed against the walls of the bottle- 0 month or into the interior groove thereof, so as to be securely held without any additional fastening device.

My improvements consist in the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood, I have shown in the accompany-' ing drawings means for carrying the same into practical eifect Without limiting my improvements in their useful applications to the particular constructions, which for the sake of illustration I have delineated.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stopper and puller embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the bottom of the stopper. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the same in place in a bottle.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the body of the stopper-,of cork or equivalent compressible substance.

B indicates the puller and longitudinal compressor, consisting of a metal rod or w re inserted longitudinally of the stopper and having on the inner end of the latter a bend or coil 1. This bend is of such horizontal extent or diameter as to obtain a sufficient hold upon the stopper to lift or draw the same bodily from the bottle-mouth when the stopper is extracted.

2 is a retaining-bend engaging the outer portion or end of the stopper and preferably formed, as indicated, for the insertion of an extracting-tool O. Between the bends l and 2 the stopper is compressed, so that when it is inserted in the mouth of the bottle D it cannot expand longitudinally, but must be very heavily compressed between the walls of the bottle-mouth and preferably into a groove 3 of the latter, whereby the stopper is securely held without additional fastening.

In order that the stopper may be inserted by the ordinary bottling-machine, the bend 2 is formed Within the body of the stopper and substantially flush with the upper end of the latter, as shown.

It will be understood that the bend 1 may be protected from oxidation by shellac or in any desired manner, the same forming no necessary part of my present invention.

The stopper A is of considerablediameter relative to the interior of the bottle-mouth, which it is designed to fit, and the tightness and security of the stopper is regulated and effected by this relatively greater diameter.

Ordinarily the compression of the cork by the puller will cause some lateral convexity of the cork, as indicated at t. 'One mode of .causing such compression by the puller is to force its inner and outer portions together, thereby compressing the cork and forming a bend 5 in the puller, which bend, by reason of the stifiness of the wire, is retained. After the wire B has been formed with the bend or eye 1 and inserted through the cork from what afterward becomes the inner end of the cork the outer end of the Wire is bent around to reenter the cork, forming the bend 2. Thereafter when the cork is compressed longitudinally, as above described, the bends 2 and 5 will be increased, shortening the effective length of the wire, and thereby the cork will be held compressed, the wire being stifi enough for the purpose. The necessary operations of inserting the wire and compressing the cork may be performed by hand or by suitable machinery.

I am aware of such constructions as that shown in United States Letters Patent No. 633,094, in which the stopper is expanded after insertion by special internal mechanism; but my invention is distinguished from such devices in being normally or originally compressed longitudinally for and before insertion.

I am also aware that it has been proposed to compress cork for use as bottle-corks; but my invention differs materially from such compression, because in that case the material was compressed evenly and rendered more dense, whereas my stopper, while compressed longitudinally, retains its original condition of elasticity laterally.

WVhat I claim is 1. The combination of a stopper of compressible material, and a puller passing longitudinally through the stopper and having retaining means at its inner and outer ends, the stopper being permanently, both before and after insertion, held under compression between such retaining means, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a horizontally-compressed stopper, and a compressing-puller passing longitudinally through the same, the inner end of the puller having retaining means engaging the stopper and the outer end of the puller being formed with a bend,

substantially embedded in and flush with the stopper, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a stopper, and a puller having at its inner end the bend or coil 1, passing in a shank longitudinally through the stopper and having at its outer end the bend 2,substantially embedded in the stopper, the cork being, in its normal condition, held under compression before insertion, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the bottle having the groove 3, of a stopper of compressible material forced into said groove and a puller passing through the stopper and holding the same permanently, both before and after insertion under longitudinal compression, substantially as set forth.

5. A bottle-stopper of compressible and elastic material, and means whereby it is held under permanent longitudinal compression and adapted for insertion in a bottle in such condition.

6. A bottle-stopper of compressible and elastic material held under permanent longitudinal compression and bulged outwardly at the sides before insertion, and adapted forinsertion in a bottle in such condition.

7. In a bottle-stopper the combination of a body of compressible elastic material having embedded therein a compressible outwardlyacting spring-bend 2 acting to press laterally toward the walls of the bottle when the stopper is inserted.

8. A stopper for bottles consisting of a longitudinally-compressed body of cork, combined with means for producing such compression consisting of a Wire inserted in said body and having 'a bend at its inner and at its outer end, said bends engaging said body to hold the same from longitudinal expansion and leaving the body free for lateral expansion, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY CAMPBELL.

Witnesses:

A. E. L. KEESE, H. N. Low. 

